In my recent visit to San Diego, I saw a lot of these Brants, a small dark, stocky sea goose that frequents the West Coast and some areas of the East Coast. It feeds on aquatic plants in shallow bays and estuaries. I saw several small flocks of them over a couple of days. 3/29/22 www.sparhawkphotography.com
This very pretty flower was blooming in the Australian Walkabout section of San Diego Safari Park. I'm not familiar with what the flower is, and I don't know if it is specifically Australian, but couldn't resist shooting it. I liked the delicate color and the texture of the petals. 3/28/22 www.sparhawkphotography.com
This may seem like an odd "last day of the year" shot, but there is a story behind it. Each year I keep a list of the bird species I have seen that year, always hoping for a big number, of course. What with travel limitations and all, this year's list was shorter than I'd hoped. About a week ago I needed 13 more birds to get to a nice round 300, and I realized no way I would get there in the time left in the year. While in San Diego I managed to add one here and two there, etc. By the time I got back from San Diego, I needed 5 more birds...maybe I COULD do it, if I worked hard at it, and I'm really lucky! I birded some local areas, and was happy to add a few more. By yesterday I had gotten to 299! Looking at my list, I realized I'd not yet seen a Bonaparte Gull. Aha, I should be able to see them at the north end of the Salton Sea. So I jumped in the car and headed out--88.4 miles later, I was standing on the shore looking at a hundred or more of these pretty little gulls. So I had my 300th bird for 2021--not my best year, but at least I got to 300! Now on January 1st I get to start a whole new list and even the common birds are fair game! Looking back on this year and looking forward to the new one. May all of your years end on a happy note! 12/31/21 www.sparhawkphotography.com
